The rise of the poor

After Zhou Chong finished speaking, he scanned the crowd with a sharp gaze, his meaning unspoken, waiting for their opinions.

These people were all seasoned veterans of the officialdom, so they certainly understood what Old Zhou meant. Although Zhu Ping'an had not been in officialdom for long, he was very experienced. Under Zhou Chong's piercing gaze, Zhu Ping'an and the others all declared, "We will do our utmost to wipe out the Japanese pirates! We will live up to the Emperor's trust and the people's expectations!"

Seeing that everyone had echoed his sentiments, Zhou Chong nodded in satisfaction.

However, just as Zhou Chong's ambitions were beginning to take shape, an untimely voice rang out, "Lord Zhou, of course the Japanese pirates must be wiped out, but they are not sheep. To eliminate them, we need a strategy. Lord Zhou, what is your strategy for eliminating them?!"

It was Zhao Wenhua's voice.

Zhu Pingan looked up and saw Zhao Wenhua standing up and confronting Zhou Chong. He stood there with his hands clasped, looking composed and out of place.

Zhou Chong had just taken office as governor-general, and today was his first time meeting with his officials. Zhao Wenhua immediately challenged him, asking him about his strategy for eliminating the Japanese pirates. This was asking too much of him.

The strategy for eliminating Japanese pirates—this is the commanding sword for the great cause of suppressing Japanese pirates in Jiangnan!

How could someone possibly come up with a strategy to destroy the Japanese as soon as they take office?! It would require investigation, research, and testing before it could be implemented! Such a fundamental command strategy would need at least a month to develop, wouldn't it?!

However, none of the people present were fools. Zhao Wenhua's covetousness for the governorship was an open secret, and it was only natural that he would now target Zhou Chong, who had taken his position.

"Hehe, Lord Zhao, great minds think alike! How can we eliminate the Japanese pirates without a strategy? Without a strategy, the great cause of suppressing the Japanese pirates in Jiangnan will lack unified command, and how can it possibly succeed? I was just about to tell you gentlemen about my strategy for eliminating the Japanese pirates when Lord Zhao asked the question. Great minds think alike!" Zhou Chong chuckled, looking at Zhao Wenhua with a forced smile, and slowly began to speak.

"Oh, I'd like to hear the details." Zhao Wenhua sat down dismissively, watching Zhou Chong on the stage as if he were a joke, waiting for him to make a fool of himself. He didn't believe Zhou Chong had any strategy to destroy the Japanese pirates.

You've only just taken office as governor, and you already have a strategy to destroy the Japanese?!
how is this possible.

Let's see what you can come up with! If you just give a perfunctory answer and don't get to the point, humph, you'll just be handing me ammunition to impeach you.

"Colleagues, my strategy for destroying the Japanese pirates can be summarized as 'ten difficulties and three measures'!" Zhou Chong said slowly.

Ten difficulties and three solutions?!
These figures have been released; does this mean there was some preparation involved, and it wasn't just a casual response?!
When Zhao Wenhua heard Zhou Chong mention the ten difficulties and three strategies, he touched his chin in surprise. This guy actually had a strategy to destroy the Japanese pirates?! Impossible, absolutely impossible, Zhao Wenhua didn't believe it and thought Zhou Chong was bluffing.

Go on, I want to see what kind of solutions you can come up with for these ten difficulties.

Zhao Wenhua watched Zhou Chong with a leisurely air, waiting for him to make a fool of himself.

“Ten difficulties and three strategies. The first difficulty is that the Japanese pirates come and go unpredictably and are difficult to fathom,” Zhou Chong said slowly.

The audience nodded in agreement. The Japanese pirates came by ship from the sea, and you had no idea which coast they landed on or where they would attack. The same was true when they retreated. Once they landed, the pirates burned, killed, and looted, and then ran away. You didn't know which coast they would enter the sea from to escape.

Zhao Wenhua remained calm. Everyone knew that the Japanese pirates were coming to seize the property, so it wasn't anything remarkable.

"The second difficulty is that the coastline of Jiangnan is long and winding, making it difficult to defend," Zhou Chong continued.

Everyone nodded again. The coastline of Jiangnan was too long and too winding, and there were countless coastlines where Japanese pirates could land, making it difficult to defend.

Zhao Wenhua twitched the corner of his mouth. Isn't this second difficulty a bit of a repetition of the first? The reason why the first difficulty is difficult is because the second difficulty is that the coastline is long and winding, and you don't know which coast the Japanese pirates will land and attack from.

“There are three difficulties: the land and water routes in Jiangnan are intertwined, making it difficult to wage war,” Zhou Chong’s voice continued.

Everyone sat and listened.

"Pfft."

Zhao Wenhua couldn't help but laugh out loud. What's this? The waterways in Jiangnan are intertwined, and that's just how the terrain is. How did it become the third difficulty?!
What? The Jiangnan region, with its mix of waterways and land routes, is difficult for us but advantageous for the Japanese pirates?! To be honest, Jiangnan is our home turf, while the Japanese pirates are outsiders. This terrain is actually more favorable to us!

Excellent generals are good at making use of the terrain. What does "favorable timing, advantageous location, and popular support" mean? It means making use of the terrain!

Hearing Zhao Wenhua's grating laughter, Zhou Chong on the stage glanced at him unhappily. Zhao Wenhua met his gaze without flinching. Zhou Chong stared back for a second, then turned away, ignoring Zhao Wenhua.

"The fourth difficulty is that the Japanese pirates are cunning and their schemes are hard to predict." Zhou Chong continued to explain the fourth difficulty in his ten difficulties and three strategies.

This time, everyone nodded in agreement again. Indeed, the Japanese pirates were too cunning and treacherous. They loved to use schemes and tricks, such as feigning defeat to ambush, pretending to be refugees, planting spies, and bribing the garrison with large sums of money. The Japanese pirates were full of evil ideas, and their schemes and tricks were impossible to guard against!

Zhao Wenhua continued his disdain, saying that Zhou Chong's summary of these difficulties was nothing special, especially this one, as everyone knew that the Japanese pirates were treacherous and cunning.

“The fifth difficulty is that the Japanese pirates have been entrenched for a long time and are difficult to defend against,” Zhao Chong continued.

Everyone nodded in unison. The Japanese pirates had been a problem in Jiangnan for a long time. They occupied the islands and abandoned coastal villages, and had been there for years or even decades. They set up sentries and defenses, forming a stable base that was difficult to defend against and defeat!

Zhao Wenhua remained unconvinced.

"The sixth difficulty is that the residents are vulnerable and difficult to govern." Zhao Chong said, then looked at everyone, "You gentlemen are more aware of this point."

"Indeed, the common people are extremely vulnerable in the face of the Japanese pirates. It's difficult to mobilize them, let alone provide manpower, resources, or money. It's incredibly difficult."

Everyone nodded.

Zhu Pingan narrowed his eyes slightly, disagreeing with Zhou Chong's summary of the difficulties. "You're asking the docile common people to confront the ruthless Japanese pirates. Of course, the common people are too weak to do so. But as for contributing manpower, effort, and money, I have repeatedly felt the enthusiasm and eagerness of the common people, as long as you really go and fight the Japanese pirates."

“The seventh difficulty is that the land is saline and difficult to build a city,” Zhou Chong said slowly. “Without the protection of city walls, it is difficult to resist the Japanese pirates.”

Zhu Ping'an frowned slightly. Was this really a challenge?! The land in Jiangnan was saline and difficult to build a city on?!
Indeed, the land in Jiangnan is more saline than in the north, but it is not so bad that it is impossible to build a city there!
There are quite a few cities in Jiangnan. The reason why there are fewer city walls in Jiangnan is not because the land is saline, but because of historical reasons and the fact that Jiangnan is located in a safe rear area, so there is no need for so many city walls in peacetime.

In contrast, the Forbidden City was located in the north, and the main threat to the Ming Dynasty came from the nomadic tribes in the north. Therefore, many city walls were built in the north to defend against these tribes. (End of Chapter)